More and more IC devices are packaged into Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages where a BGA package has a plurality of solder balls or spherical terminals disposed on the same surface for external electrical connections to achieve higher number of external terminals and smaller dimensions. For example, BGA packages for DRAM or flash have the universal standards of solder balls pitches, however, the substrate dimensions, the number of solder balls, and solder ball locations and distributions are different. When testing different BGA packages with different electronic products, the inserts for carrying the BGA packages and the Hi-fix board of a tester need to be interchanged according to the corresponding BGA packages under test leading to lower utilization rates of a tester and to many insert specifications for different BGA packages.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional insert 200 for carrying a BGA package 10 under test is not universal, primarily comprises a window-type base 210 where inside the device cavity of the base 210 has a substrate-alignment opening 211. As shown in FIG. 2, the dimension of the substrate-alignment opening 211 is the same as the substrate dimension of the BGA package 10. The sidewalls of the substrate-alignment opening 211 are aligned to the sidewalls of the BGA package 10 so that the edges of the substrate-alignment opening 211 are formed as an alignment frame 212 to hold and constrain the sidewalls 13 of a BGA package 10. A plurality of solder balls 14 disposed on the ball placement surface 11 of the BGA package 10 are all exposed from the substrate-alignment opening 211. A guiding surface 213 is formed around the alignment frame 212 to easily place and align the BGA package 10. A plurality of holding fingers 214 are formed and protrude in the substrate-alignment opening 211 to hold the BGA package 10 from dropping out of the insert 200. Furthermore, two joint parts 215 are formed on two opposing sides of the window-type base 210 and is connected to a carrier, not shown in the figure. Therefore, even with the same type of BGA packages 10 for different electronic products, the substrate dimensions will change so that the corresponding insert 200 cannot be used to test all the BGA packages 10. Furthermore, different electronic products will use different BGA packages 10 not only with different substrate dimensions, but also with different solder ball numbers and with different solder ball distributions. Different inserts 100 have to be designed and purchased.
A known universal insert for carrying a BGA package had been revealed in R.O.C. patent No. 1253705, where a footprint-alignment opening is disposed in the component cavity of a window-type base with its dimension aligned to the most outer edges of the solder ball distribution area of a BGA package under test which is smaller than the dimension of the substrate. Therefore, various BGA packages 10 with different substrate dimensions can be carried by the insert for alignment and testing. Moreover, the holding fingers can be eliminated. However, the universal insert can only carry BGA packages mentioned above with the same footprints and with the same ball counts. Additionally, the outmost solder balls contacted by the insert are easily damaged or/and dropped by extra shearing stresses.